


Accidentally Need You

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Series: That's Just Life [4]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Auto-Immune Disease Geostigma, Final Fantasy VII Rare Pair Week, M/M, Planet Scar Syndrome | Geostigma, Sickfic, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2019-03-20 11:39:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13716921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: Cloud's first and only enemy is, sadly, his own body. Barret helps him fight it.Day 2 of FFVII Rarepair Week: "We can make it through!"/Overcoming Challenges





	Accidentally Need You

**Author's Note:**

> This felt like a good use of the prompt! 
> 
> Now, a few things; 
> 
> This is an alternate universe where ShinRa has competition and where mostly everything is the same minus the trauma of the OG!series.
> 
> Geostigma is an autoimmune disease that affects 2 out of 5 people; it runs in biological families.
> 
> Cloud is raising his son and his half-brothers (the Remnants) from his father's side.
> 
> Most of AVALANCHE will show up in some capacity or other throughout both the prompt and the series as a whole. You don't need to read all of them to get the general picture but they are all connected.
> 
> Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

* * *

The sting of hospital-grade antiseptic tells Cloud more than he wants to know, really. 

"... always this _bad_?" Barret questions softly but fiercely and Dr. Faramis sighs. 

"Cloud's Geostigma is too strong for Materia but too weak to be subjecting him to Mako shots. Too many and he's poisoned; too few and we end up here. He's agreed to try our experimental Huge Materia but he hasn't been in as often as I'd like to see him." Dr. Faramis sighs. 

"I swear to Ramuh, that man takes better care of his brothers and his kid before he takes care of himself..." Barret growls. 

Cloud shifts and groans at the feeling of thick bandages that neatly encase his left arm and cheek, the wrap around his right thigh and the one around his forehead. 

"Cloud?!" Barret's footsteps are quiet as they tap across the floor but they're certainly hurried. "You're not supposed to be up yet." 

"... Stubborness is a Highwind-Strife trait." He rasps out, a weak grin his attempt at teasing. 

"You ain't even his kid, Spikey. I'll be right back with some water." Barret shakes his head at Cloud, gives him an impossibly fond look and brings back a cup with a straw in it. Cloud hits the button to get the bed to sit up and drinks when Barret holds it out to him. He pushes the straw away with his tongue and then sticks out out, like he does with Cid. "Never will understand you Nibel folk, y'know." 

"Same could be said for those weirdos near Corel," he teases, huffing softly when Barret pouts at him, "never know what that foothill air does to them." 

That gets Barret to laugh, if only for a moment. "Why haven't you been going in, Cloud?" 

"... I didn't want to look weak." He admits, his fingers twisting on top of the scratchy hospital blankets. "I've got Den and 'Daj and Yaz and Loz to look after and-and... I don't want you to leave." 

_Not like everyone else did_ , he wants to say but the words get stuck in his throat. 

Barret's expression hardens and Cloud closes his eyes to wait for the break-up speech. "Cloud." 

"What?" The flatness of his own voice makes him flinch but Barret does the exact opposite. 

" _ **Fuck**_ those other people, Spikey. I knew what I signed the fuck up for the day we met; hell, you tried to drive me away with that 'Stigma speech, remember? I'm your boyfriend, your partner and that means we share shit. We _talk about it_ instead of pushing it away. I'm going exactly nowhere, Cloud, 'cause Titan damn it all, I **love** you." 

Cloud's breathing stutters for a moment, nearly stops when the words finally register and his voice cracks when he asks, "You **lo-ve** me?" 

Barret motions that Cloud should scootch a little so he can sit. He swipes away Cloud's tears with both hands and leans down, cupping Cloud's face to look him in the eyes. "I know we're not exactly the most conventional couple, Spikey. I'll say it a thousand, no, million times if I gotta. I'm here for the long run. If this is something I gotta look forward to then we'll make it through. If the Apocolypse dropped next week from the heavens, I'd be right there with you." 

Cloud gave a wet laugh at that, leaning into Barret's hold. "Marlene's been binge watching Fantasy Seven again?" 

"Bet your ass she is," Barret grumbles, "especially since she's in the waiting room with Denzel and your brothers. They've adopted her, by the way, your little menaces." 

"Oh dear. Can you go get them?" 

"Yeah, hold on."

* * *

After the visit, Cloud's exhausted again but Barret stays. When he goes to pull up a chair, Cloud makes a face. "Bed." 

"Spike." 

"... I'll sleep better." He replies to the chiding tone from his boyfriend. 

Barret sighs, lets go of the chair to kick off his boots and joins Cloud on the awfully tiny hospital bed. Cloud immediately snuggles up, pillowing his better cheek on Barret's chest. "You're ridiculous." 

"Mm, probably, but I miss being all cuddly." Cloud murmurs as he listens to Barret's steady heartbeat. 

He really _does_ try to keep his eyes open but Barret is warm and he says he **loves** Cloud and well, no one can resist sleep for long.

* * *

Aerith snaps a pic when she shows up for 'Cloud Watching'—as Zack puts it—only to find Cloud sleeping peacefully on Barret, his bandaged left leg hooked over both of Barret's with his cheek smooshed against Barret's chest. 

When she sends it to Barret the morning after, he keeps it as his phone's homescreen since Marlene's on his lockscreen.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


End file.
